Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Another friend goes to Hawaii and brings back amazing pictures...

It keeps happening. Friends go off to Hawaii and come back with pictures that make me swoon. So many fabulous plants in settings that I only dream of, and it’s all real (or so they say, since I’ve never been I remain cautiously pessimistic). This picture is my latest proof that Hawaii is a bizarre horticultural wonderland. What is this crazy bush with its huge red fruit? Is it real? Or only a fictitious treasure dreamed up to make me jealous?

It's a kind of Pandanus. I live on O'ahu; it's really common to see it growing on the side of the road on the Windward side (not so much in deliberate, household gardens, tho), but I've never seen it with red fruit before.

Mr S, my first thought upon reading your comment "he's crazy that's no pine!"...but of course you are not crazy (well, at least not in this instance) and it isn't really a pine. Thank you for the id! And in a strange twist of events I was working on today's post about the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver BC and I see I took a picture of one there!

Darla, yes it certainly does.

ricki, yours too huh?

James, I know rude huh?

Stone Art, and someday I hope to see them with my own eyes.

Vyvyan, thank you for the id. And lucky lucky you living in plant paradise!

It is a pandanus:) locally known as a Hala Tree. The brightly colored "fruits" you see can be made into leis, or paint brushes and in times of famine you can even eat them. The leaves are harvested when dried and used to make lauhala mats, bags, hats, etc.